Group Build Suggestion

[Ian Shumsky]

Many congratulations to Gary and Steve on getting the site up, running and busy!

I have a couple of suggestions / questions around the Group Build section...

1. Can we have a sticky post detailing the active and future builds? It is all pretty simple at the moment as we only have two going and they both run to 31st Jan 2015, but if more themes are added and they start overlapping we could do with a single place to go to see what is happening. It would also serve as a place to see what future builds are lines up so we can start planning / buying in preparation

2. It may be worth having a second sticky post for discussion on future group builds. If enough people back a topic it can be added into the schedule.

3. Are there any thoughts around how often a new theme will be introduced? For example, would two new themes be introduced every 3 months, each with a 6 month duration?

4. (and really stretching it here!) Any thoughts have having a poll for the best model in any group build, similar to the MA photo feature comp (but without the prizes)?

I have a couple of options for the group builds in progress, so you may see me join in...

[Steve Reid]

Hi Ian!

Remember the movie "Die Hard" when detective McLane could get the word out to the Police that the Nakatomo Tower had been taken over by a mob of "Eurotrash"?

In frustration he finally machine gunned a police car and yelled, "Welcome to the party Pal!"

I have a couple of suggestions / questions around the Group Build section...

1. Can we have a sticky post detailing the active and future builds? It is all pretty simple at the moment as we only have two going and they both run to 31st Jan 2015, but if more themes are added and they start overlapping we could do with a single place to go to see what is happening. It would also serve as a place to see what future builds are lines up so we can start planning / buying in preparation

We should have this- keep the conversation alive. It is an opportunity to discover that others might be interested in doing an really unusual subject.

2. It may be worth having a second sticky post for discussion on future group builds. If enough people back a topic it can be added into the schedule.

An excellent suggestion- having a schedule! Who would like to see a planned Group build say every 6 months? That way you could do your research and shopping when it was convenient.

3. Are there any thoughts around how often a new theme will be introduced? For example, would two new themes be introduced every 3 months, each with a 6 month duration?

As above? What do you guys think?

4. (and really stretching it here!) Any thoughts have having a poll for the best model in any group build, similar to the MA photo feature comp (but without the prizes)?

Gary took care of this already- there will be a vote for both the best Panzer III and a separate vote for the best of the Sherman subjects. We have a sponsor providing an award.

I have a couple of options for the group builds in progress, so you may see me join in...

Good input!!
Steve

[Rod Dumouchel]

Hi Ian!

Remember the movie "Die Hard" when detective McLane could get the word out to the Police that the Nakatomo Tower had been taken over by a mob of "Eurotrash"?

In frustration he finally machine gunned a police car and yelled, "Welcome to the party Pal!"

I have a couple of suggestions / questions around the Group Build section...

1. Can we have a sticky post detailing the active and future builds? It is all pretty simple at the moment as we only have two going and they both run to 31st Jan 2015, but if more themes are added and they start overlapping we could do with a single place to go to see what is happening. It would also serve as a place to see what future builds are lines up so we can start planning / buying in preparation

We should have this- keep the conversation alive. It is an opportunity to discover that others might be interested in doing an really unusual subject.

I'll second that.

2. It may be worth having a second sticky post for discussion on future group builds. If enough people back a topic it can be added into the schedule.

An excellent suggestion- having a schedule! Who would like to see a planned Group build say every 6 months? That way you could do your research and shopping when it was convenient.

3. Are there any thoughts around how often a new theme will be introduced? For example, would two new themes be introduced every 3 months, each with a 6 month duration?

As above? What do you guys think?

3 months and 6 month duration maybe a little tight what about 6 and 6 this gives people time to gather reference and products. I don't think we want to have more than 2 going at a time or it just may lose its appeal for most, maybe not just my 2 cents worth.

4. (and really stretching it here!) Any thoughts have having a poll for the best model in any group build, similar to the MA photo feature comp (but without the prizes)?

Gary took care of this already- there will be a vote for both the best Panzer III and a separate vote for the best of the Sherman subjects. We have a sponsor providing an award.

I have a couple of options for the group builds in progress, so you may see me join in...

Good input!!
Steve

Would like to see a change in the layout just to make it easier to follow. Have seen something like this on other forms, 1. Topic for the build (as you have done already) 2. then a sub Topic for each builder.

I like the Group build idea but it tends to lose steam if you get to many going at the same time, or make the topic too restrictive. Please keep the guess the modeler component, that was fun, and I am not just saying that because I won the last one.

Regards,
Rod

[Chris Smith]

Don't overlap the builds, we have enough attention deficit modellers as it is

Chris

[Steve Hutchinson]

Hi Gang

Yes to further GB's, 2 a year, 6 months each seems a good figure?

Yes to a sub group, so it is easier to follow each build,

Yes to a voting and selection for potential future GB's

Yes to the "Guess Who?"

Yes to keeping this a current talking point, it has energised PA and is definitely worth keeping but not over doing.

Overlapping GB's is not a good idea, perhaps 2 x 5 months, per year? with a cool off month after each.

Dual GB subjects is good to include as many as possible, though there will always be some who aren't interested, that is life, but keep the choices moving to keep stimulating the imagination and maximising the inclusion.

Just some thoughts

Steve H

[Gary Boxall]

Many congratulations to Gary and Steve on getting the site up, running and busy!

I have a couple of suggestions / questions around the Group Build section...

1. Can we have a sticky post detailing the active and future builds? It is all pretty simple at the moment as we only have two going and they both run to 31st Jan 2015, but if more themes are added and they start overlapping we could do with a single place to go to see what is happening. It would also serve as a place to see what future builds are lines up so we can start planning / buying in preparation

Let me have a think as to how best put that up.

2. It may be worth having a second sticky post for discussion on future group builds. If enough people back a topic it can be added into the schedule.

Easy enough to do.

3. Are there any thoughts around how often a new theme will be introduced? For example, would two new themes be introduced every 3 months, each with a 6 month duration?:

I think there needs to be enough interest to support any single group build rather than introducing a new theme every 3 months. I think that anyone can raise a GB idea and then people can simply sign up for it if they are interested. Get say 6 people who want to participate then the GB get's the go ahead at an agreed sate and time period. Some people are happy having multiple builds going at once - others obviously not.
It's not about control, but any new GB needs to be started by Admin only once the terms have been agreed and the prerequisite numbers of people have signed up. Otherwise you may well get people starting GBs up all over the place which leads to chaos

4. (and really stretching it here!) Any thoughts have having a poll for the best model in any group build, similar to the MA photo feature comp (but without the prizes)?

I have a couple of options for the group builds in progress, so you may see me join in...

As Steve says, all in hand....

Gary

[Shawn Ramsey]

-Only one GB at a time lasting 6 months which is 2 per year. Unless we choose to do a diorama GB which would have to last longer.
I really don't think we need more than this. We currently have around 20 folks with 2 GB going on. A few of these came for the Sherman GB only. I would really hate things to be like other sites were there are 20 GB going on at once. Please keep it to only 2 per year.

- The topic should be pick for the next GB at least 2 months in advance. Lets start the new one Jan 1 just to make things simple. Jan thru June. July thru Dec. I know the first one won't be over yet but that is alright. By the looks of it most of you will be done anyways. Not me of course.

-I agree with having the two topics this time to get more folks on board but it is basically two GB going on at once. Lets face it no matter what the topic is we will never get everyone onboard. Next time lets have one topic.

-I would like to see a different format. Lets have the GB topic ie Sherman then under that each participant has their own blog. This will still be a GB with individual blogs. By looking at the responses so far most folks want this. It is really hard following things in the current format.

-Just look at Rob and mine dual blog. People get confused with who is doing what with just two of us.

Shawn

[Ian Shumsky]

Thanks for the feedback on the feedback!

I like the idea of sub forums for each build. Under the main Group Build forum you could have a Group Build Discussions sub-forum for general discussions on group builds, such as ideas for next ones, current group build schedule, etc. and then additional sub-forums for each build. Under these further folders people could blog their own builds in a separate topic. There could also be a stickied 'Q&A' thread for general questions on the topic as well as a topic overview / rules / dates thread.

[Mark Aldrich]

I like the idea of each person having their own build blog in the build area. I think it would be much easier to follow. I mean Steve's would, of course be the easiest, as he hasn't posted ANY of his progress......LOL. I of course have NO IDEA how easy or hard that would be on the moderators or administrators.

[Rob Matthews]

Agree with Shawn

The difficulty of a Group build it seems to me is that it brings a uni-dimensional element to the site and perhaps, just perhaps stifles some diversity of building.

IMHO the site will be more attractive if it keeps a "broad church".

Rob